( 49) VI. Concil. Nie. Oecum. r. Can. r3. decreeth that every one that before death defireth the Sacrament, was to have it from the Bifhop : One Ed. in Crab faith, Generaliter omni cuilibet in exitupotto, pofcenti fibi Communionú gra tiam trìbui, Epifcopufprobabiliter ex oblation daredebebit. Theother Ed. faith, [ Et cura e'r probarlofir Epifeopi.] We are content that the Diocefs be as great as the Bifhop will perform this for, to examine all'fuch dyingmen, and give them the Sacrament, or fend itthem after his diflint`k Examination. VII. Gregor. Nazianz. Epiui. 22. pag. 78d. To. r. perfwading the Church ofC.efarea to chufe Bafil for their Bifhop, fendeth his Letters to the Presbyters, the Monks, the Magifirates, and the whole Laity.] And though I doubt not but by that time there were Country Congregations, by this the magnitude of the City Church may be gathered, where the whole Laity could beconfulted, and could chufe. And Bafil made this Gregory his chief friend BifhopofSafimis, a fmaIl poor dirty Town : And yet Gregory himfelf it feems had in force near Villagea Cho- . repiifcopur with Presbyters and Deacons ; as in Glycerin: his Cafe appeareth, E- pff. Greg. 205. pag. goo, gor. And Nazianzum where he plaid the Bifhop under his Father (twoBithops at once, one in Title, the other in Practice without Title) was but a (mall Town. VIII. Bafil an Arch-Bifhop was fo much againfl enlarging Diocefes, and taking in many Churches to one Bifhop, that he taketh the advantage ofthe difference between him and Anthymius to make many Bithops more in hisDie- cefs over finali places : yea, it feemethCome places were fo finali as that they never before had any Pallors at all : as appeareth by Gregory Nazianzene, Epift. 28. IX. 2'heodoret tells us, lib. 4. cap. z o. HeR. Ecclef. that even in the great Alexandria the Presbyters and Deacons were all but nineteen when Lucius came to banilh them to Heliopolis, a City ofPbcenicia ; which City had not one Chriftian in it. By which it appeareth, that .even then under Chriflian Emperors, Chriflianitywas not received by the multitude, when force Cities had not a Chriflian. X. Theodor. ib. I. 4. e. 16. faith, that when Eulogizes and Protogenes, the Presbyters of Edeffa, were banithed to Antionine in Theban, they found the moll of the people Heathens, and but few of the Church ; yet had that little number aBilhopof their own. XI. Id. 1. 4. c. 20. In Peter Bifhop ofAlexandria's Epifile (wherein he ïheweth Cuch actions then done by the Soldiers in fcornof the Godly, pro- claiming Turpitude not to be named under the name of fcornful Preaching, as G have
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